Acer increases netbook size with new Aspire One

Acer unveiled its second-generation netbook products today, which include the 11.6" Aspire One 751h, a unit that goes for the bigger overall footprint but with a marginally slimmer profile.

Besides its 11.6" LCD screen (1364 x 768, 16:9), the Acer Aspire One 751h is equipped with a 1.22 GHz Intel Atom Z520, 1 GB SDRAM, and a 160 GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive. Not a lot has changed since the last generation, It comes installed with Windows XP Home SP3, has a multi-card reader, and supports 802.11b/g wireless. The suggested baseline retail price is even the same as the last generation: $349.99, or $379.99 with a six-cell battery.

What makes this line unique among Acer's netbooks and more like its competitors is its multi-touch gestural trackpad, and its two-inch growth in overall size. Netbook innovator Asus recently took the same tack with its "Seashell" Eee PC, which slimmed down its traditional Eee PC netbook, and equipping it with a multi-touchpad.

The Aspire line debuted in the Summer of 2008 with a uniform chassis size of 9.8" x 6.7" x 1.14" and a weight of 2.17 pounds, the 751h increased the One's surface area by 22% and now comes in at 11.18" x 7.79" x 1" and 2.75 pounds. The company says it's the first of its netbooks to come equipped with a full-sized keyboard.

Acer, Asus, HP, MSI, and Dell are the top five companies in netbook market share according to DisplaySearch, and Acer has recently held a substantial lead over HP, MSI, and Dell.